The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

Nov. 24, 2003 -- — The investigation into last week's Istanbul bombings have now identified the four suicide bombers. Three of the men came from Bingol, a town in eastern Turkey, and were associated with Turkish Hezbollah, a violent Islamist group, according to local officials in the province.

Turkish Hezbollah, which is not connected to the Lebanese Hezbollah, was originally supported by Turkish security as a counter-weight to the Marxist Kurdish rebels of the PKK. Turkish officials also state that several of the suicide bombing suspects were trained in Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2000 and 2001.

Last Friday the U.S. issued a world wide warning in response to increased communications intercepts in terrorist circles indicating that another major attack against Americans was imminent. A National Security Council meeeting was held on Friday afternoon to discuss the threats, but U.S. officials decided not to elevate the threat level to Orange.

TURKISH BOMBINGS INVESTIGATIONTurkish Suspects Tied to Guerrillas Government's backing of Islamic group arouses scrutiny after blasts. The article investigates the link between the bombers and Turkish Hezbollah. (Washington Post)

Bomb Attacks Were Planned in Internet Café

The devastating suicide bombings in Istanbul last week were planned in an internet café in the remote eastern Turkish town of Bingol and coordinated with al Qaeda. (Sunday Telegraph)

Anguished Turks Wrestle With an Internal EnemyThe suspected bombers are believed to have been among hundreds of Turks who received training in the use of explosives and ultimately fought in Iran, Pakistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina or Afghanistan, officials said. (LA Times)

Turks Make More Arrests as U.S. Issues Worldwide Warning of AttacksTurkey has rounded up more suspects over the twin truck bombings in Istanbul, as the United States issued a worldwide warning that the al Qaeda network may strike again. (AFP)

Turkish PM Questions Al Qaeda Role as Istanbul Prays For Bomb VictimsTurkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan questioned whether the massive Istanbul bombings were the work of the al Qaeda terror network, as the city's British community joined in solemn prayers for the dead. (AFP)

THE WAR ON TERROR

REGIONAL REPORTS

United KingdomLondon Terror Plot Reportedly Thwarted A chemical firm alerted authorities to a potential terrorist plot after a London-based group tried to buy half a ton of a toxic substance, a company spokesman said Saturday. (AP)

MI5 Hunts Terrorists Plotting Major U.K. OutrageSecurity services are said to be hunting two cells of al Qaeda terrorists whom they believe are preparing to carry out a terror "spectacular" in Britain. (The Herald)

Saudi ArabiaAl Qaeda Ordered Saudi Bombing From IranA senior al Qaeda militant orchestrated the bombing of a residential compound in Saudi Arabia earlier this month by telephone from Iran, a Saudi newspaper says. Okaz newspaper, quoting informed sources on Sunday, said the militant network's security chief Saif al Adel gave orders for the attack in the capital Riyadh by satellite phone. (Reuters)

More than 10 arrested in Saudi Arabia Saudi police arrest more than 10 people believed to pose security threats; suspected of al Qaeda links. (Middle East Online)

Second Saudi Cleric Renounces Militancy A second prominent Saudi cleric has renounced Islamic militancy and attacks against innocent people during an interview aired on state-run TV Saturday. (AP)

AfghanistanFive U.S. Troops Killed in Afghan CrashFive U.S. soldiers killed in helicopter crash in Afghanistan; military investigating cause. (AP)

Afghan Camps Linked to Recent Terror From Bali to Istanbul, New York to Casablanca, the ferocious chain of terror that has choked the world since Sept. 11 has stemmed from a single source — camps like this one just south of Kabul, where thousands of young men were indoctrinated in Osama bin Laden's brutal vision. (AP)

U.S. Plans War on Al Qaeda's Afghan Opium Huge effort planned to plough up fields in a bid to destroy predicted £2bn-plus bumper poppy crop. (The Guardian)

Taliban Leader Urges Afghan Action vs. U.S. TroopsThe supreme leader of the ousted Taliban, Mullah Mohammad Omar, urged Afghans to unite against U.S.-led foreign forces on their soil, a Pakistan-based Afghan news service reported Sunday. (Reuters)

United StatesVirgnia Man's Months in Saudi Prison Go Unexplained Shortly before his final exams at Saudi Arabia's University of Medina, Ahmed Abu Ali told his parents that he was looking forward to coming home to Falls Church for summer vacation. (Washington Post)

Anti-Terrorism Funds Buy Wide Array of Pet Projects Some of region's unused millions could be lost. (Washington Post)

AustraliaBrigitte Planned Australian Terror Attack, Associate ClaimsFrench terror suspect Willie Brigitte spoke of plotting a terror attack in Australia before he was arrested and sent back to France, a suspected French Islamic militant has told investigators. (Sydney Morning Herald)

Morocco41 Moroccan Islamists Jailed A court in Rabat sentenced 15 militants to 20 years in prison Saturday for plotting terrorist attacks while 26 other defendants were given jail terms ranging from two to 15 years, a judicial source said. (AFP)

Malaysia4 Malaysian Students With Alleged Terror Links ReleasedMalaysian police have released four students, who were deported from Pakistan and held on suspicion of having links to terrorism. (VOA)

INVESTIGATIONSBank Data For Saudi Embassy SubpoenaedFBI investigating Riyadh's spending for terrorist ties. (Washington Post)

Saudi Official Denies Embassy is Being InvestigatedA foreign ministry official denied in an interview with the Saudi newspaper Okaz that the Saudi embassy in Washington was being investigated and that documents were confiscated. (Okaz)

9/11 Panel Pledged Secrecy to New York The independent commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks promised two months ago to keep secret the names and other personal details revealed in transcripts of emergency calls made by New Yorkers on the day of the terrorist strikes, according to a letter disclosed yesterday. (Washington Post)

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTSSupreme Court Revisits Enemy Combatants Bush administration cites 1950 ruling to justify holding foreign nationals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (Washington Post)

Lawyers Say Al Qaeda Did Not Take Moussaoui SeriouslyZacarias Moussaoui had dreams about flying an airplane into the White House, but his associates in the al Qaeda terrorist network considered him "cuckoo" and never took him seriously, his defense attorneys said in legal papers released Friday. (LA Times)

THREATSFO 'Put Staff Lives At Risk' By Ignoring Istanbul Warnings UK 'has up to 60' suicide bombers. (The Observer)

Magazine Says Qaeda Vows Big Strike by FebruaryA London-based Arab magazine said Friday that Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network has vowed to carry out a major attack by February, and to target Japan if it sent troops to Iraq. (Reuters)

WAR ON TERROR — ANALYSIS & OPINION

Sign of Weakness?Do overseas terror strikes suggest al Qaeda inability to hit U.S.? (ABCNEWS)

How To Defeat Terrorism Without Creating New Enemies? (Hi Pakistan)

The 9/11 Cover-Up — What Did Bush Know About the Al Qaeda Threat?It's fortunate for George W. Bush he has a mess on his hands in Iraq; otherwise, he might have to worry about a significant cover-up coming undone. (LA Weekly)

Istanbul at Crossroads of Terror Battle In poor, seaside neighborhoods of Istanbul, a city straddling Asia and Europe, men in blue jeans mix easily with others wearing headcoverings and long Islamic-style cloaks. (AP)

They Waited For Them In London, They Surprised Them In IstanbulThe explanations are numerous and ramified. (Al Hayat)

Are We Ready To Face A Prolonged Terror Threat? Of the many questions begged by the warnings of further terrorist attacks on British institutions both overseas and at home, two essentially matter: have we seriously considered the implications of a threat that may persist for some considerable time? And, if so, are we ready? (The Scotsman)

Terrorism SpreadIt's time to cut away the root causes of brutal acts. (Asahi Shimbun - Japan)

The Arab Elite's Responsibility For Terror (Al Hayat)

Counter Terrorism and Domestic PoliticsThe re-activated policy to counter religious extremism cannot be sustained without bringing supportive political elements on board. This is not possible without seeking a realignment of political forces, expanding the support base of the government. (Daily Times - Pakistan)

Reacting to Terror (NY Times)

Istanbul: Gateway to terrorThe recent bomb blasts in Istanbul are neither isolated incidents nor simply local actions. (Asia Times)

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Mosul Attack

There are widespread reports that Iraqi teens dragged bloodied U.S. soldiers from wrecked vehicle and beat them with concrete blocks. (AP)

ABCNEWS' Martha Raddatz reports that the Pentagon is now saying the two soldiers killed were in "no way mutilated, stabbed, or stoned."

Twin Suicide Bombs Kill 18 in Iraq Violence and bloodshed consumed Iraq Saturday when at least 18 Iraqis were killed and scores wounded in separate suicide bombings north of Baghdad and a civilian plane was targeted on its way out of the capital. (Arab News)

North Iraq Hit by Fresh ViolenceA gas pipeline is blown up in northern Iraq, as two U.S. soldiers are killed in what appears to be a brutal attack. (BBC)

Hezbollah, in Iraq, Refrains from Attacks on AmericansHezbollah, the Iranian-backed Shiite group, has established a significant presence in Iraq, but is not taking part in attacks on American forces inside the country. (NY Times)

Postwar Peacekeeping Forces ConsideredThe move marks a reversal for the Bush administration, which came into office strongly resistant to peacekeeping missions and intent on trying to get Europeans and other allies to shoulder more of that burden. (Washington Post)

Military Sees Flaws in Patriot UsageCrews operating the Patriot antimissile system during the invasion of Iraq were ill trained, lacked communications equipment, and had trouble keeping track of battlefield allies, according to an Army review. (Boston Globe)

Iraq Attacks on Civilians Seen as War Crimes Guerrillas who attack civilians in Iraq for collaborating with the U.S.-led coalition are committing war crimes, a human rights group said Saturday. (AP)

A High Price for Speaking UpPilots in Iraq face court-martial for voicing concerns about aircraft. (ABCNEWS)

FBI Is Monitoring War Protesters, Official SaysThe FBI has gathered data about tactics and training used by war protesters in an effort to blunt potential violence by extremist elements, a federal law enforcement official said Sunday. (LA Times)

Villagers Claim Saddam Visited ThemResidents of a village close to Baghdad told the Sunday Times about the details of a purported visit by Saddam Hussein, reports Al-Quds Al-Arabi. They said he was in good health and it was easy to recognize him. Saddam allegedly promised that Iraq would be liberated. (Al-Quds Al-Arabi)

Iraq Interim Leadership Bans Al Arabiya Over Saddam BroadcastIraq's U.S.-installed interim Governing Council announced it was banning Dubai-based satellite television al Arabiya from working in Iraq for incitement to murder after it broadcast a Saddam Hussein tape calling for attacks on the council's members. (AFP)

WAR IN IRAQ — ANALYSIS & OPINION

Shiite Cleric Could Make or Break TransitionMuqtader Sadr has said repeatedly the coalition must leave immediately. U.S. fears his rhetoric will spread violence among his following. (LA Times)

The Insider Daily Terrorism Report (DTR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to international terrorism and the war in Iraq. The DTR is edited from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman, and Brinda Adhikari of the ABCNEWS Investigative Unit. The outside views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.